The 49ers
by Emma L. Wright
Summary: District 12 has only ever had two victors before Katniss and Peeta. The second was Haymitch Abernathy after his win in the 50th Hunger Games. The first was the victor of the 49th Hunger Games. This is their story.
1. Chapter 1: Brothers

**I read Catching Fire a few months ago again after a long time and I was really intrigued by the relationship Haymitch and Mrs. Everdeen had - like they knew more than the book was telling. So I decided to expand on this feeling I had like there was a previous uprising among the districts (or at least 12) that centered around Haymitch and had something to do with Mrs. Everdeen. Basically this is the story of the Hunger Games the younger years. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Chapter 1: Brothers**

"_Up, up, up! It's going to be a big, big, big day! - **Effie Trinket, The Hunger Games**_

Haymitch Abernathy wasn't sure whether to clock Jonah over the head for being such an incompetent fool or dump a bucket of ice cold water on him because of how drunk the young man was. Both seemed reasonable, plausible ideas, so he didn't know which to pick. He crossed out the water when he realized that Jonah was more hungover than drunk. However, Haymitch also came to realize that Jonah's head was probably hurting more than any punch he could administer. With both of his initial responses omitted Haymitch decided that yelling at him would be a suitable alternative.

"I thought that you said your sister was only on an overnight trip!" he roared at the somewhat still sleepy man, who was nursing his head in his hands.

"Mitch, calm down, it's only, like, four in the morning, and I sure as hell ain't awake yet," Jonah hissed, rubbing his eyes, in which sleep was still evident.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," Haymitch retorted. He opened his mouth to keep going when Jonah interrupted, seeming to sense he would be in for a very long, loud, and angry lecture about his responsibilities as an older brother and Haymitch's friend.

"Look, you know how Bekah gets. She'll say she's only gonna be gone a few days and doesn't come back around till the next month. You can't blame this one on me."

Haymitch snapped at the comment. "Yeah, well, do you even know where she was going?"

Jonah scratched his head as though his fingers could dig up the answer. No such luck.

After a few minutes with no audible response from the young man Haymitch started talking again. "Of course you have no idea," he muttered to himself, sitting down on the only chair to occupy the room and assumed a rather dejected state as he ran his hands through his wavy, dark blonde - almost brown - hair.

"Relax, Mitch," Jonah mumbled, swinging his legs over to the side of the bed he had only minutes before been sleeping in and giving the small, dilapidated, and creaky back bedroom a once over before looking into the face of his oldest friend, Haymitch Abernathy. "She'll come back. She always does. And you and I both know no one could have stopped her from leaving, so that mean's no one can keep her from coming back."

Jonah looked up at his friend who was slightly younger than himself as he spoke. Haymitch was just about to turn eighteen where as Jonah was pressing closer and closer to nineteen. Yet, even though Haymitch was still a youth, right then he looked years older.

The older boy frowned at the deep worry lines criss-crossing the lightly tanned face and the sadness in those trademark seam eyes. Jonah rubbed his eyes again. "I'd like to seem 'em try anyways."

Haymitch snorted at his friend's bluntness. It was probably true, though, that Rebekah had just lost track of time as she so often did when she was "traveling." The girl had zero sense of time and would often believe that it was time for dinner before everyone else had even considered lunch.

"She'll be fine," Jonah repeated getting up and going to the front of the little shack he and his sister had called home since their birth. It was composed of exactly four rooms. Two bedrooms, one kitchen, and one living room. The entire place was in a state of disrepair, along with pretty much everything in it. An outhouse was leaning over to the side not more than a rock's throw from the place. There was no consistent running water or electricity (only a few hours in the evening if they were lucky) which constituted for the array of candles and matches all over the place.

Jonah walked, or rather stumbled, into the kitchen and proceeded to dunk his head into the large (and at this time full) sink. Haymitch leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, as he watched one of his oldest friends try to wake up. Apparently one time didn't do the trick as Jonah lifted his head gasping for air, then decidedly plunged it back into the icy water.

Haymitch just shook his head and went to see what he could scrounge up for breakfast.

1234567890-=

As Haymitch set weak coffee, bland bread, and some blackberries onto the table, Jonah finally emerged from his room where he had retreated after trying to wake himself up by dumping his head in freezing water.

Jonah was now dressed in a long-sleeved cotton shirt, pants made of what Haymitch though was denim, and a dark brown, leather jacket. For the most part he looked awake and alert. The only thing that hinted Jonah had been asleep not fifteen minutes before was the tousled, jet-black hair that was wet and shining along with sticking up every which way.

Haymitch narrowed his eyes and frowned trying to make sense of something he had heard on his way over here as he studied Jonah. A pair of miners had been talking before they had to go to the mines, and he had heard them mention his name.

"Isn't that Ms. Abernathy's boy?" one had asked, nodding in my direction.

"Yep," replied another one, "'spect he's going to visit his brother."

"Brother?" the first asked. "I thought his little brother lived at home with him and Ms. Abernathy?"

"I'm not talking about his little brother but his older one."

"I didn't think she had more 'n two."

"Ah, well, I dunno if they're blood, but they sure as hell act like it."

Brothers. Haymitch mulled over this idea in his head as he surveyed Jonah. In a way, they were, but you would have had to see them together to make that judgement. Looking-wise they couldn't be more different. They were both about six foot but the similarities stopped right their. Haymitch, however strange it was being from the seam, was a dark blonde, Jonah had raven black hair. Haymitch had seam gray eyes. Jonah's were a washed out green. He had olive skin where as Jonah was almost pale. Their faces were relatively different along with their builds. Jonah's a wiry with only slight muscle while Haymitch was more a just muscle. The funny thing was Haymitch was probably more fearful of what Jonah could do to him rather than the other way around.

"Oy," Jonah said loudly. "You in there, Mitch?"

"Yeah," he muttered gruffly, as he took a seat at the rickety wooden table that looked like a knife had bee taken to it multiple times. Then, realizing whose house he was in though it was very likely a knife had been carving up the kitchen table rather than the food.

"Then please share what it was you were so deeply contemplating," Jonah demanded jokingly, taking a seat across from his old friend.

Haymitch just shook his head and dug into the measly breakfast. "Just something I overheard on my way here."

"What?" Jonah asked, his interest piqued. "Wait," he said, holding up his hand, "if it was about the reaping I don't want to know."

Haymitch grimaced, knowing Jonah's annoyance with anything Hunger Games related or come to think of it . . . anything to do with the Capitol.

"It wasn't anything to do with that," he assured his friend.

"Then what?"

"A couple of miners were up earlier than normal and saw me. I started eavesdropping when I heard my name. Apparently one of thought we were brothers." Haymitch shrugged. Jonah, however, laughed.

"Was it the blind guy?" he asked.

"No. Ol' man Fuller doesn't work in the mines, Jonah. He's blind."

"Oh yeah, forgot."

Haymitch just shook his head.

"Who then? Cause anyone with eyes can see that there's no familial similarities in our looks."

"Dunno," he responded, taking a sip of the weak coffee.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter," Jonah conceded, popping the last few blackberries into his mouth and tossing his cup into the now drained sink. He stood, and continued to walk to the front door and grab a game bag off the hook that sat next to it.

With a flick of his wrist the door flew open, hit the outside of the shamble of a home and went on to rip from its hinges and fall off the frame with an obnoxiously loud noise. I jumped back at the sound, but Jonah didn't even flinch. He simply looked at the frame then door and finally back to Haymitch.

"You know I guess it does kinda matter since your practically in love with my - oh, sorry, _our_ - sister," he snickered.

Haymitch threw his last berry at Jonah's head but merely grazed the top of his hair as Jonah ducked.

The dark-haired boy kept chuckling to himself as he went to retrieve the front door to his and his sister's house. Haymitch grudgingly followed.

The blonde stared as Jonah hefted the wooden, slightly dry-rotted front door and attempted to reattach it to its hinges.

"That'll do," Jonah commented as he as Haymitch stood next to him, both eyeing the propped up door that was wedged into its former place.

It was Haymitch's turn to snicker.

"What?" Jonah asked, a slight irritation reverberating in his tone.

Haymitch shook his head. "Just be glad you don't have anything worth stealing," he told his friend as the door came crashing down again.


	2. Chapter 2: The Hunting Party

_**Me again. I have a few of these chapters already written up so they'll be fairly regular, every couple of days now. Hope you enjoy it.**_

**Disclaimer:**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Hunting Party**

"_District 12: Where you can starve to death in safety." **- Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games** _

Jonah looked in disbelief at the door that had managed to not only fall out of its door frame twice within minutes. It had come off the hinges before, but now it was broken it two.

"You have got to be kidding me," he groaned in disbelief. Meanwhile, Haymitch was practically rolling around on the ground, cracking up.

"Not your morning, Ventator?" asked young boy that was in reality only a few years younger than Jonah and Haymitch themselves.

"What's it to you Everdeen?" Jonah snapped back, still staring at his now completely broken front door.

The boy held up his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, Jonah, calm down."

Haymitch intervened before Jonah could do more than just snap words. "Sorry, Taxus. Jonah's just . . ."

"Yeah," Taxus Everdeen agreed without Haymitch ever having to finish. "I know."

Haymitch gave a sheepish smile to the boy, who couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen, yet he seemed to know quite a bit to be so young. With one look Haymitch knew Taxus could tell that Jonah was hungover, upset, and annoyed.

"So, look, Dad and I are headed _out_," Taxus said, emphasizing the last word before continuing on. "And we were wondering if either of you would like to come with."

"Out?" Jonah echoed, not really paying attention as he picked up the two pieces of his front door.

"Yes," Taxus repeated. "You know, to get food."

At this Jonah immediately perked up. He threw the parts of the door inside, frowned at the completely open doorway but shrugged it off, finally turning his attention to the other two males.

"That sounds absolutely fantastic. Perfect distraction."

"Distraction from what?" Haymitch asked, eyebrows raised. Then he realized - Rebekah's semi-missing.

But, in what Haymitch thought was classic Jonah behavior, Jonah said, "Dude, I've got a roaring hangover and you decided that I shouldn't be allowed to sleep through the worst of it." He rubbed his temples for added effect.

"Of course," Haymitch retorted. "I should have guessed."

Taxus' faced showed the confusion he had over the two older boys' exchange but he knew better to say anything. They were practically brothers after all; they'd work whatever was wrong out.

1234567890-=

The three young men crisscrossed their way through the Seam of District 12 to reach the meadow. After having made their way through the poverty stricken part of District 12 where every house was the quality of Jonah's, the open space and fresh air of the meadow was a welcome change.

Jonah had put a little pep in his step by this time and was practically shaking from anticipation of being out in the woods. No, not the woods, Haymitch corrected, anticipation of being free. If Jonah wasn't free to do and say as he pleased he resorted to having hangovers and forgetting where his sister was. Something sane and free Jonah would never do.

They all walked along in companionable silence until coming upon a wide-open meadow expanse closed off on two sides by a thin tree line, on the one to their backs it was closed off to the Seem, and to their right was a supposedly electric fence.

In theory it was supposed to be on 24/7, but somehow that never seemed to be the case. Taxus, who was the smallest of the three scurried under one of the weaker points of the fence, then held it up for the other two to follow.

Once every man was on the opposite side of the fence, Jonah, Haymitch, and Taxus all went to retrieve their weapons. All were armed with a bow, quiver of arrows, and a knife or two.

Taxus and Haymitch had to jog to catch up with Jonah who, after grabbing his bow, was practically running through forest free as a bird whistling to complete the image. The mockingjays in the area picked up the young man's tune and sang it back to him. And, for a time, he continued in this manner: Bow, quiver, and game bag slung over his shoulder; running like a wild-dog; and carrying on with the mockingjays. Until, that is, Haymitch stopped abruptly, even though Taxus and Jonah were carrying on.

Taxus soon realized they had lost one of their number and called for Jonah to stop. Jonah, looking rather refreshed and not winded or hungover at all, noticed Haymitch's absence. They backtracked and found him knelt down on one knee staring at a rock.

Their approach, even with their soft, nearly silent, hunters' feet, caused Haymitch to immediately shift his attention to his hunting partners. Not that he showed it until he figured out what he had been studying.

"Ah, good. I was afraid you were planning on running to the borders of the next district, Jonah. The way you were talking to those mockingjays a nice little force of peacekeepers would be out searching to apprehend you," he said, not moving from his previous position.

"Yeah, well," Jonah started, trying to come up with a decent comeback. "Your face is weird."

At this, though, Haymitch gave his friend a quizzical look. "You are very strange. You know that right?"

He nodded passively. "Yeah, so I've been told. Actually I think the telling those fifteen hundred times before that was done by you, too!" Jonah said exasperatedly, his voice slowly rising.

"Shh," both Taxus and Haymitch said, shushing Jonah.

"You'll scare off the game," Taxus added in a stage whisper.

"Sorry," Jonah hissed back, exaggerating. After a slight pause Jonah tried keeping his tone down and asked Haymitch a question.

"So what about that rock is so interested Haymitch? I understand that it's privileged and everything since its residence is right next to a stream and not all stones are allowed such an opportunity-"

Haymitch cut him off throwing one of the other privileged rocks at Jonah. "Hey, watch," Jonah hissed, massaging his arm where the rock had met its target.

Taxus just rolled his eyes and walked over to where Haymitch was, taking a look himself. "Blood?" the youngest asked aloud, scouring the surrounding area for any other signs of an injured animal.

"I think so," Haymitch confirmed.

"Well then where is this poor soul headed?" asked an loud and booming voice that didn't belong to any of the three boys.

All of their heads swiveled around in the direction it had came from, and sure enough there was Aito Everdeen, the very definition of a mountain man. Tall, the same height as either Haymitch or Jonah, a tanned and weathered faced, strong muscles, and gray hair and beard. To top it all off he was wearing a flannel shirt, thick green pants, had a bow slung over his shoulder, and was covered head to toe with coal dust from working in the mines. Today, Sunday, was his only day off, and he wanted to spend every minute of it he could hunting.

"Dad!" Taxus called out happily. "Wasn't sure if you'd be able to find us."

The older Everdeen let out a big booming laugh and said, "Boy, I've been traversing these here woods longer than all of ya' years combined. Didn't take me to long a time to find your trail. Course, all I usually have to do is follow the mockingjays," he finished giving Jonah a pointed look. To his credit, Jonah didn't bat an eye.

"We've got a connection," Jonah shrugged.

Mr. Everdeen shoot his head in amusement. "Whatever you say boy. Whatever you say. Well, even with you constantly twittering to those damned birds it's nice to see you up and about so early. On a Sunday, too."

Both Taxus and Haymitch snickered, all present knowing full well why Jonah was never up this early, and it wasn't because he wasn't a morning person.

"And Haymitch!" Mr. Everdeen continued, turning towards the boy. "What brings you out this fine morning. You're not usually out in the woods more than once every week or so, and you came last Sunday."

Haymitch shrugged. "We've just been going through more food, and I'm trying to get where my little brother Aviv won't need to sign up to tesserae this coming reaping."

Aito Everdeen nodded thoughtfully. "Well, your ma's got to growin' boys in the house. I don't doubt you're going through more food."

"He's only twelve now," Haymitch contradicted.

"That doesn't mean he won't shoot up like a weed. You and Jonah here did. Now, on to business. There's a hurt animal out here somewhere along with plenty of healthy ones looking to become my dinner. Seeing as there's four of us why don't we split up. We can cover more space and won't cause as much noise. High noon everyone meets up at that rock ledge bout half a mile from here. Overlooks the valley. We'll split the spoils equal-like, and head our separate ways. We in agreement?"

Everyone nodded in unison and every man went off on their own. Haymitch decided to see if he could follow the trail of the hurt animal. Whatever it was had to be fairly large. Perhaps a oversized buck. It had been thrashing around quite a bit, too; but Haymitch supposed that was because it was probably in a lot of pain as blood was becoming more and more frequent.

Then he heard a noise - a wail combined with a growl. That wasn't any buck he had ever heard.

Cautiously Haymitch continued towards the sound. The animal still seemed to be moving, so the young man picked up his pace trying to match the pace of the injured creature. Finally he caught a glimpse. It wasn't a buck but a great grizzly bigger than the refrigerator his family had in their house in town. And it was not very happy.

The mass of matted brown fur which was, at this point, coated in its dark, sticky blood, began moving, this time at a slower pace, appearing to limp on its right front paw until it just dropped in a thicket of trees. Unable to go on. Haymitch had watched the bear's progression from a decent vantage point up in an old oak.

"Stupid bear decided it wanted to try me out for a meal earlier," declared an obviously aggravated voice from above him.

Haymitch nearly fell out of the tree. The girl who had been perched above dropped down a couple of branches until she was situated next to him.

"So I decided to show him how it feels. Good thing too. I think it would've actually killed me."

Haymitch stared at the beautiful almost white-blonde girl with washed out green eyes that were the same as her brother's in disbelief. After a few moment he gathered himself then followed her gaze back below to where the bear was trying to conserve enough energy to keep moving.

"Well, duh, I bet the poor thing hasn't eaten in weeks. No one's caught anything beyond birds the past couple of times out hunting."

"That doesn't mean it had to try to eat me," she countered.

"Meat is meat," Haymitch shrugged.

The girl glared at the bear and grumbled under her breath for a few moments before turning her full attention to the person standing next to her, her mouth turning into a brilliant smile. "Long time no see."

Haymitch just hugged her. "Don't even get me started, Rebekah."

* * *

_**Do you want more?**_


	3. Chapter 3: A Reunion

_**Here's chapter 3. Hope you all enjoy! Would absolutely love any input you have for the story.**_

**Chapter 3: A Reunion**

"_I could be shot on a daily basis for hunting, but the appetites of those in charge protect me." **- Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games**_

It was a good few minutes before Haymitch released Rebekah, and instead, cupped her face inside her hands.

"Next time you say you're going on a trip just for two, three days . . . come back after two or three days," he chastised her. His voice a mixture of relief, annoyance, and happiness all rolled into one.

"It was only a week!" she protested, trying to gain back the balance she had lost from when Haymitch had crushed her into him.

"Yes, double what you said you'd be gone for," he pointed out, hugging her again.

Rebekah just rolled her eyes not wanting to get into a fight within the first five minutes of reuniting with Haymitch.

"Haymitch, air. Need air," Rebekah choked out after Haymitch hugged once again.

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly, loosening his arms still around the girl.

The two stood in the tree content with just looking at one another until Rebekah became noticeable antsy.

"Look," she began slowly. "I know it's been longer than I planned - and it's absolutely fantastic seeing you again, but that bear's half dead already. One arrow would end him." She finished in an almost pleading tone staring up into Haymitch's now lit up light gray eyes.

Haymitch just snorted. "You know I don't know if I've even seen a bear in these parts since I was a little boy."

Rebekah agreed absentmindedly as she made her was down the tree to the forest floor, Haymitch not far behind her. The girl pulled out a large hunting knife and out of the inside of her leather hunting jack what looked like a gun.

Haymitch did a double-take at the combination of worn, brown wood, and sleek black metal which looked as though some animal had tried to rip it apart with claw marks coating it. "Where did you get that?" he asked, startled, looking around as though in fear someone might see it.

She grinned mysteriously. "I would have been back in two or three days like I said, but then this baby caught my eye and I had to have her. I think it's one of those old pistols they used before Panem. It's not a hunting gun, but it'll put the bear out of its misery a lot quicker than any arrow or knife."

"Is it worth it, though? What if some peacekeeper hears?"

"Seriously?" she questioned him, readying the weapon. "We're probably four, five miles out of the fence, let alone the actual district. Besides, a gunshot could be mistaken for a fallen tree."

"Just hurry it up then," Haymitch snapped, moving away from the bear and covering his ears as Rebekah aimed.

One, two, three shots rang out and three bullets embedded themselves into the black bear. It struggled for a moment, then just stopped, eyes glassy and mouth lolling open.

"Is it dead?" Rebekah asked curiously, peering at the bear from where she stood.

Haymitch marched up to the animal and checked. "Yep," he proclaimed. "Well if not already, in the next few minutes it will be."

The girl's eyes lit up, obviously pleased that they managed to put down such a large beast with only a knife and three bullets. "Just imagine how much we can get for it!" she exclaimed. "The food alone . . ."

"Mmm hmm," Haymitch agreed. "They'll be enough to fix your door and to have food for the rest of the month easy."

"New door?" Rebekah questioned.

Her companion just chuckled. "Oh, you'll see when we get back. Speaking of," he paused, staring pointedly at the bear then at the girl, "how exactly do you plan to get the bear back to 12?"

Rebekah's previously joyful face turned to one of despair as she analyzed the current dilemma. Then, appearing to have come to a conclusion, opened her mouth and said, "If I'm not mistaken there's a hunting party of four strong men out in these woods."

"Oh no," Haymitch quickly interjected. "Definitely not. You killed it. You find a way to drag it back."

Rebekah pushed out her bottom lip and walked over to Haymitch, twining her arms around his waist. "Please," she pleaded. "I am small, weak, and way to tired and lazy after having walked all the way from District 11. Besides, I doubt I'd ever be able to drag that out of the woods without help anyway."

Haymitch just shook his head, but still held her in his arms.

"Please?" she asked again.

"Ah nope."

"Please?" She was practically whining now, and Haymitch knew she would not stop until she got what she wanted or was distracted by something else. He decided on the latter, bending his face towards hers. He kissed her softly, cutting off the stream of word pouring out of her mouth. She responded immediately, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be convincing him to help her carry the bear back.

"Well aren't you two freaking adorable?" called a smooth and mocking voice that could only have belonged to Jonah Venator.

The two broke away, Haymitch looking sheepish for being caught like that with Jonah's sister and Rebekah glaring daggers at Jonah. To his credit, Jonah didn't even blink under the dangerous gaze.

Rebekah continued to stare at him even as Jonah inventoried the rest of the scene. His eyes got big and round at the sight of the now very dead bear and look at his sister accusingly. "Did you kill it?"

"No, I glared at it," she bit back. "And it just keeled over."

"Very funny," he retorted, prodding and poking that large animal. "But why? What did the bear ever do to you? You don't see many of these around here, Bekah. You should have just let it go."

"Oh no," she began, "you do not get to go and play big brother with me. And for your information it thought I would make a lovely snack so I _defended_ myself, Jo. I don't just go around killing things."

But Jonah had just listened to what she had said first. "What do you mean I can't act the big brother?" he loudly replied. "I am your big brother, shouldn't I act like it?"

"See," she yelled back, "that's exactly what I thought the night I left when you were drunk off your ass and probably didn't even hear a word I said, let alone remembered!"

"You run off all the time! And when you do it's rare that you actually tell me where you're going; most of the time where you say you're going and what you actually end up doing are two different things away!" he shouted.

"Guys!" Haymitch shouted, maneuvering himself between the siblings. "Stop yelling, we really don't need people out here looking for us -"

"Is that a gun!?" Jonah interrupted, sliding past Haymitch and gripping his sister's arm.

"And what if it is?" she asked, shoving the gun and her free arm behind her back.

"This isn't me trying to play big brother, Bekah. This is me trying to get you to not play stupid. What were you thinking? A gun? What . . . "

"Funny thing is it's not any of your damn business," she spat.

"Uh, if you're planning to keep that thing in the house - our house, Rebekah - than yeah, I think it is my damn business."

"Knock it off," Haymitch scolded, breaking the two up as he tried to stop their shouting. "Rebekah, Jonah really doesn't have any real jurisdiction over your actions and he can be kind of a bum, but he's your brother and believe it or not he does care about you." Haymitch then turned to Jonah. "And if you think keeping that the gun in the house is such a bad idea than she can hide it like the rest of the weapons out in the woods."

Both siblings grudgingly nodded their agreement when Aito Everdeen boomed, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Ms. Rebekah Venator, come and graced us with her presence at last!"

Rebekah spun around and gave Mr. Everdeen a dazzling smile. "Of course."

"Now what was all that racket about? I tell you I haven't caught one single thing out here this morning cause either your brother or you's been causing trouble," he chided.

"Sorry," they both muttered sheepishly.

He waved his hand, dismissing the whole matter and turning his attention back to his son, who had appeared behind them - lugging a stuffed gamed bag over his shoulder. "Now, Taxus, my boy, is the bag filled?"

"Yep, it's not gonna hold much of anything else."

"Well then good. I suppose we can head on back now. should only be about 8 or so by the looks of the sun. The Hob will be in full - What in tarnation is that?!" he boomed, pointing at the bear.

"Um . . ." Rebekah mumbled.

Aito just raised his eyebrows at her and didn't even ask. "Jonah, Haymitch, get on the other side of that thing. Rebekah, come over here. I think the four of us can manage it to the fence. Taxus, take the bows and the rest and put them back in their usual hiding places. You know the Venators and Abernathy's here? Good. Now come on. It'll take a little longer to get back to the Seam, but I spect the bear will be worth its weight."

With that, they slowly made their way back to the fence. The bear was really rather scrawny and probably had been very hungry when it went after Rebekah, so they made decent time and were back at the fence within two hours.

"So what, we just push it under to you and Rebekah?" Jonah asked Aito as he and Haymitch contemplated how to maneuver the beast under the fence.

"Yessir. Rebekah you hold the fence up and I'll pull while you two push," Aito instructed.

It took a little wriggling around, but Rebekah and Aito finally managed to drag the bear from under the fence. Jonah, though, managed to cut his hand and arm as he pushed the bear through. He insisted he was fine, so they all picked it up and carrying it to the Everdeen's place which was just about as close to the meadow as possible. Aito and Taxus promised to have it skinned by tomorrow and the meat ready by tonight.

The Venators and Haymitch then made their way back to more the middle Seam where Rebekah and Jonah lodged.

"You should probably have someone look at that," Haymitch told Jonah, taking another look at the long, jagged cut that ran up and down his friend's arm. Only parts of the wound had scabbed over where others were still bleeding at a steady pace.

"Yeah, I'll get Lena to inspect it. She owes me," Jonah shrugged in response.

"Who?" Haymitch asked.

"You know, Lena Avalong. She's about Taxus' age, helps out her old woman with the apothecary. Mr. Avalong's that man whose been in real bad condition ever since that sweep of flu came along a few winter's back."

"Oh, the Avalongs, yes."

"I sometimes do odd jobs for her and her mother, so I figure she'll take a look at it for me. I'll try washing it and putting some bandages on it tonight first. And if that doesn't -"

But Jonah was cut off mid-sentence with a yelp from his little sister. "Why is our front door in pieces, Jonah?!"

_**So what did you think? We'll get to the reaping pretty soon. Within the next two or three chapters you'll find out who's going into the games. Also, we'll meet Katniss and Prim's mother in the next two chapters, so we'll kind of see her parents romance a little bit. Hope you liked it!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Bekah and Mitch

**_Here's the new chapter. Enjoy!_**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Bekah and Mitch**

"_He became my confidante, someone with whom I could share thoughts I could never voice...In exchange, he trusted me with his."_** - Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games**

"Jonah, I'm going over to Haymitch's for awhile," Rebekah called out to her brother who was passed out in his bedroom early the next morning.

She heard some sort of grunt emit from said bedroom and took it to mean he had heard. With a smile on her face, she grabbed the hunting jacket she often wore and headed off in the direction of town.

Rebekah rarely smiled. Then again, not very many people did in District 12. They were cut off from just about everything, many struggling everyday to survive. But there was one thing that could always managed to get the young girl to crack a grin - Haymitch.

Haymitch Abernathy and Rebekah Venator had been together for nearly two years and showed no signs of breaking up now. They had met in the Hob a few years back and Rebekah had instantly taken notice of him because he was a townie. Townies did not go to the Hob very often. He and Jonah had instantly struck up a friendship that had led most of District 12 to believe they were brothers - even with their differentiating looks.

Then two years back, when Rebekah was fourteen and Haymitch fifteen, Haymitch had finally gotten up the courage to ask her out. There weren't a lot of things for a young couple to do - not like in some of the other districts and District 12 was uncommonly old fashioned about most of that sort of thing - but there were a few places to go. So he took her to The Coffee Pot, a rundown shack that sold excellent coffee and things like biscuits and rolls. After about a month of this people started thinking of them as a couple rather than just Haymitch and Rebekah. However, it took this long just for Jonah to figure it out. He gave them both a strange look after the rumors he had heard had been confirmed by his own sister and best friend and walked off muttering about what this world was coming to and how he hoped Bekah wouldn't kill Haymitch in his sleep.

He wasn't the only one who found it strange, though. Anyone who knew them did. Haymitch was from town, his father before his passing was well respected in the community. They weren't well-off, but certainly better than those in the Seam. Rebekah had a hard time believing in the reality of it as well. She originally put it down to some sort of weird infatuation that would pass with the full moon. But when it didn't, she began to slowly realize that maybe this wasn't some fling.

"Mitch!" she called out, as she bounded up the steps to the whitewashed front door. "You here?"

The door swung open and out stepped an obviously sleep-deprived Haymitch who was still buttoning up his shirt. "It's to early for outside voices, Bekah," he yawned.

She just rolled her eyes up at her boyfriend, then turned around and leaped down the steps. At an easy jog, she started off in the direction of Meadow.

"Wait!" Haymitch yelled after her as he jumped the porch and took off, practically having to run to catch up. "Were are you going? We have school in like, an hour."

Rebekah suddenly came to a stop (almost causing Haymitch to topple over her). "School, schmool. I'll go, but not till I've had time to prepare for my imprisonment."

"You do know they'll release you this afternoon," he muttered.

"Yeah, but that's to long for me to wait. Besides, it bores me. If we learned things of interest and import, I would become a regular. However, I personally feel that I know plenty about coal as it is. There's not much more to it. Besides, reading and math were hurdles I jumped a long time ago."

Haymitch snorted, this time taking the lead as they continued on their way to the Meadow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Just that you're funny when your bitchy."

"I am not; I am absolutely terrifying."

"Yeah, I quake under your glare. Now," he heaved, "you have dragged me out of my bed almost a hour before need be. You better have a good reason."

The meadow was almost in sight by this point.

"Oh, I had a pretty good reason," she said, then took off at a sprint to the meadow, but she didn't stop their. She ran across the wide open space that was only a few measly acres to the edge. Here the land dipped down where you couldn't see unless to got close the end of the meadow. A river and boulders littered the ground and the land continued its descent for about a mile where the tree line was then obscured by the out-of-order electric fence.

Haymitch took off after the girl, but Rebekah was faster and made it to the dip before he could even see it. Once he did, though, Rebekah was still no longer in sight. After looking around a few moments he called out. "I know you've got a good disappearing act going, but this isn't funny!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a body tackled him from behind and the two went rolling down all the way to the bank of the river. As soon as they stopped, Rebekah pulled herself into a setting position on top of Haymitch. "I think it's absolutely hilarious," she contradicted.

"You would," he wheezed, attempting to push Rebekah off of him. He being twice her size finally managed it, but only after a few first attempts. Then they just sat their together, staring as the water flowed on down and into the woods. Rebekah's mood seemed to shift more and more the longer she sat their, knees pushed up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. What could only be called a pensive look took form on her face.

Haymitch gave her a few minutes to mull over whatever it was she had brought him out for then started speaking when it became clear she wasn't goin to.

"Bekah?"

"Hmm?"

"Speaking of your disappearing act," he began slowly, thinking how to ask her where she had been. From all her previous Houdini moments he had learned sometimes she wanted to talk about what she had seen and sometimes she didn't. He figured he'd give her the time to stop him if she wanted.

"District 11," she said before he could finish.

"And how was that?"

"Awful."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No, well, yes, no."

"Which one?"

"Yes, I think I need to."

Haymitch gave her a questioning look. Rebekah never needed to talk about anything. She hadn't needed to talk when her parents died, when the eldest Venator (Jonah and Rebekah's older brother) ran off, and she most certainly did not need to or even want to talk every time Jonah caused trouble for either himself or the both of them. In fact, Haymitch couldn't remember her ever needing to talk about anything.

"Why?" he asked, a little stunned. "I mean, you never really talked all that much about your highly illegal trips to other places before."

Rebekah just rolled her eyes like she always did when Haymitch brought up the fact that all her traveling wasn't strictly speaking legal and all. "No," she agreed, "but I don't think I can keep just keeping shutting up about what I do see when I leave this place, and let me tell you, most of it is about this bad, a little better, or worse. And none of it's good."

Haymitch frowned a little bit. "What do you mean, Bekah?"

"I mean when I went to District 11. Until you got to its major cities - which aren't all that major by the way, there were just these little shanty towns where the houses are all built like my front door apparently. Everyone there works from dawn till dusk working in the fields. At least here you get until your eighteen before you start to work. Most of those kids in 11 have never been to school, only half know how to read and write. It's just sad. And when they have to get supplies for these little villages, which are only about one to two hundred, they generally have to send a group of about five or so who spend one to two days walking to the nearest town or they radio in a supply truck. But those only come in once or so a month if their lucky. Everything those people have, for the most part, is old, used, and repaired so many times it's hard to tell what it was like in the beginning."

After this brief speech, Rebekah finally took a breath. "It's disgusting, and the Capitol should be ashamed of itself. But of course, as long as it gets to keep living its oh so glamorous and carefree life, it wouldn't dream of it."

After a minute of silence Rebekah spoke again. "Well, Mitch, have you managed to misplace your tongue along with the first button on your shirt?"

Haymitch immediately looked down and cursed under his breath. Then he looked up into Rebekah's fiery eyes.

"What do you want me to say, Bekah? Yes, those conditions are bad but at least they have food. I'd much rather work than starve. And you're right, the Capitol's not going to change its ways in the foreseeable future, so what's the point of being mad and ranting about it?"

His questioned seemed to have stumped her as she set for the next few moments in silence, but finally she spoke. "Because it's better than not doing anything, Mitch. And condemning the Capitol is all I can do right now."

Haymitch carefully considered her answer before responding. "What do you mean, Bekah? What is it you think you can do later and not right now?"

She just shook her head in apparent frustration. "Right now we're just kids. Older than some but younger than most, and I think that for some reason when we're older there will be something we can do to help. I don't know what but there will be something."

"I hope you're right, Bekah. I really do, but right now we have to get to school. I can't be late again or else you might not have a boyfriend after Mrs. Tallorn gets a hold of me."

Rebekah just laughed. She shook off her previously pensive and somewhat pessimistic and angry demeanor and leapt to her feet, holding out a hand for Haymitch. Once he had grabbed it and pulled himself to his own feet, she immediately started to drag him back to the way the came as though she had not a care in the world and thought nothing of the people in neighboring districts . . .

* * *

**_Tell me what you think! Things will start to pick up at this point!_**


End file.
